Conventionally, in the production of consumer goods such as, for example, pasty food or non-food products, such products are pumped or stuffed into a casing in a manner that allows the casing to fill with a desired amount of the product. One type of casing is a heat-sealed tubular casing formed by sealing a thin sheet of flexible material, typically elastomeric material, into a cylindrical form. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,085,036 and 5,203,760 describe examples of automated, high-speed contact sealing apparatus forming flat roll stock into tubular casings. The contents of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein.